For those who haven't read it, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the second novel by American writer Jonathan Safran Foer. Before this he wrote Everything is Illuminated, the much loved book/movie starring Elijah Wood, unread and unseen by me. Why not? Because stories which use the Holocaust as a theme annoy/bore me. Sozzy.
Which is what's making this book such a drag. It's about the Holocaust too. This is woven throughout the central narrative, which follows a young New Yorker, Oskar Schell, as he comes to terms with his Dad's death in the 9/11 attacks. I mean, how many catastrophes does the author need to create drama? I'm only half way through, but I'm kind of expecting a Vietnam vet to come hobbling along. Or better yet, one from Iraq.
It just feels so forced. And everyone is eccentric to the point of absurdity. I just don't buy any of it; that his father would have the time/means/sheer logistical ability to set up his "treasure hunts"; the ridiculously hackneyed Grandfather with "yes" and "no" tattooed on his hands; that Oskar could wander the streets of NY clad entirely in white; none of it.
To be fair I like Oskar -alteast when the author isn't so obviously trying to make him like Holden Caulfield: in one scene he actually asks a 48-year-old woman to kiss him, this nine-year old old trauma victim dressed entirely in white. Apart from that the author captures him well. His obsessive inventions, a distraction from the realities of life, is a nice touch. I also like is mother, who so far is the only person coming close to looking like a real person.
Foer is known for his literary flourishes and experimentation. I've read a few short stories of his and actually enjoyed them. But in a novel length, his tricks obscure more than they reveal. The over-done characters make empathy incredibly difficult. And I resent that I should try harder just because nearly every paragraph seems to whisper-reference catastrophe, Holocaust, 9/11 or otherwise.
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